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Yada yada/Jada, jada!

Posted by DMA on August 11, 2000

In Reply to: Yada yada yada! posted by Bob on June 08, 2000

: : : Does anyone know where that comes from? I just learned that 'yada" means to know in Hebrew. Could it have been
: : : a retort to a "know it all/"

: : Yada, yada, yada. Couldn't find an origin. But I did find this Associated Press (Dec. 27, 1997) article about the U.S. television show, Seinfeld. The title character is Jewish, so it makes sense that the phrase probably was too:

: : A few helpful items of "Seinfeld"-speak

: : When you watch 'Seinfeld,' you step into a foreign land. For viewers who came in late, a little help in breaking that code:
: : -- Yada yada yada: Mindless, frequently obnoxious fill-in verbiage to complete an otherwise uncompleted thought.
: : -- Regifting: Regrettable practice of accepting a gift from someone, then rewrapping it and giving it to someone else as a gift from you.
: : -- Puffy shirt: A stupid-looking shirt Jerry inadvertently agreed to wear for his appearance on the "Today" show. Bottom line: You don't want to own one.
: : -- Pick: Socially frowned-upon practice of inserting finger in nostril. Contrast with a simple side-of-the-nose Scratch, for which a Pick can be disastrously mistaken by a casual observer.
: : -- Double Dip: Re-inserting your nibbled-upon chip for a second helping of dip, thus -- yuck! -- contaminating the entire bowl with your bacteria.
: : -- Master of Your Domain: Title conferred on those who successfully resist the urge for sexual self-relief.
: : -- Not That There's Anything Wrong With That: A phrase that is quickly added on after one denies that one is gay.

: :
: : Copyright 1997, The Detroit News

: It's worth noting that "yada yada yada" did not originate with that Seinfeld episode... the phrase, denoting verbal boilerplate, predated it. The episode found the characters lamenting the over-use of the phrase, which had the magical effect of causing its overuse. "Regifting" and "doubledipping," by contrast, are brilliantly original additions to the language.

The Norwegian phrase "Jada, jada; slutt å masse!" (pronounced "yada, yada; sloot oh mahs") means "Yeah, yeah; stop nagging!"

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